The evolution of StarCraft: an in-depth history

Ever wonder what StarCraft would have been like if the Zerg were invincible? …

Do you remember the good old days when a proper zerg rush was what separated the men from the boys? Still living those days? StarCraft Legacy has an in-depth account on StarCraft's rich history. And really, what better topic could there be for my inaugural post as the new OT writer than to spotlight the development history of one of the most popular and long-standing RTS games of all time?

With the recent release of the Burning Crusade expansion, World of Warcraft has taken the spotlight as Blizzard's prime creation. However, the now-archaic StarCraft still remains one of the company's most notable productions. In an age of PC gaming when the RTS was king, "Warcraft in Space" became one of the most dominant forces in gaming culture.

StarCraft Legacy's feature, which covers the history of StarCraft from its early alpha stages all the way through its final expansion, Brood War, is a virtual treasure trove of history and art work. Each section documents the development process and public showing of the game while providing screenshots that illustrate how the game evolved over time. Despite being the success that it is, StarCraft's beginnings were far more humble than many would have believed: the article recounts a time when a budding developer named Blizzard stumbled over the development process of their would-be legendary project. Given the now titanic status of the successful MMO developer, it's interesting to relive a time when Blizzard was still an up-and-comer to the scene.

Morever, the article mentions some interesting alterations that were made during the fine-tuning of the game: stuff that even the hardest of hardcore StarCraft fiends might not be aware of. These include all kinds of tasty tidbits, such as a certain long-lost skill from Brood War that unbalanced the game:

... Valkyrie had a spell called "Afterburner" which would substantially increase its speed. This was later removed due to cheese tactics where players would use it to fly into a Zerg base, kill all the Overlords, and fly out again.

Though the article was written way back in 2004, the sheer amount of history held within it is sure to impress even the most diehard of fans. In fact, even non-fans may be interested in checking this out; if nothing else, it will provide you an insight into the history of one of the cornerstones of PC gaming. And hey, who knows, maybe if enough people take interest in the mythical gaming gem of yore, we might actually find out if there's any future in the StarCraft name. StarCraft 2? World of StarCraft? Gives us something, Blizzard! Anything!